(C) DLR LOBBIES FOR U.S. POLITICAL SUPPORT TO TAKE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BERLIN 000957 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/AGS, EUR/ERA AND OES E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/16/2033 TAGS: TSPA EINV ETRD PGOV PREL PINR GM SUBJECT: (C) DLR LOBBIES FOR U.S. POLITICAL SUPPORT TO TAKE OVER GERMANY'S SATELLITE TRACKING RADAR Classified By: Global Affairs Unit Chief Don L. Brown for reasons 1.4 (a),(b),and (d). ¶1. (C) The German Space Agency (DLR) contacted the U.S. Embassy in Berlin in an apparent political move to corral support in their favor in an upcoming Chancellery decision to reorganize lines of control over Germany's primary space surveillance asset. The Chancellery will be reportedly deciding on whether or not to merge the German Research Establishment for Applied Science (FGAN) with DLR or with the Fraunhofer Society. ¶2. (C) FGAN operates Germany's primary ground-based radar used to catalogue satellite orbits (particularly those of reconnaissance satellites),and has historically held a strong relationship with the German Ministry of Defense. On Friday July 11, Dr. Thorsten Nix of DLR contacted us, obliquely requesting USG support to help sway the Chancellery's decision in favor of DLR and said this decision is likely to be made within the next year. (Comment: The Fraunhofer Society is one of Germany's leading research institutions and operates under the shared political ownership of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Research. DLR, however, operates under the Economics Ministry. End Comment.) ¶3. (C) Dr. Nix confided that the decision of what to do with FGAN is currently "completely up in the air" within the German government. Nix argued that given DLR's integral involvement with Germany's space-based Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) programs, a DLR/FGAN partnership would logically consolidate operation of Germany's ground and space-based radars. COMMENT -------------- ¶4. (C) From our conversation with Nix, we believe that DLR is seeking to out-maneuver Fraunhofer and the Ministry of Defense in a Chancellery-level space surveillance decision. They hope to accomplish this resource-grab by eliciting US support as an important SAR partner. He made clear that DLR would welcome a voluntary USG expression of support for a consolidated center of radar expertise. Nix was noticeably coy discussing this over the phone and intimated the need to conceal DLR's involvement in such a request. TIMKEN JR